September 21, 2004 - While the new PlayStation 2 redesign caused the biggest stir at Sony's PS Business Meeting 2004 today in Tokyo, there was another big surprise waiting for those who stayed a bit following the event: playable PSP units running five different games! And by playable, we mean the real deal, as in you hold it in your hands, it runs games from a UMD, it gets warm while you play it, and if you try and steal it, Ken Kutaragi himself will tackle you.
 
Sony Computer Entertainment gave members of the press a preview of the Tokyo Game Show PSP experience, readying five playable PSP units and one copy each of Minna no Golf Portable, Dynasty Warriors (Shin Sangokumusou), Shin Ridge Racer, Metal Gear Acid and Dokodemo Issho. We'll have impressions and videos of the games in just a bit, but we first thought you'd like to hear how the PSP itself holds up.
 
We got to try out one of the shiny, black units, which is expected to be the final retail color (officially, SCE still won't comment on launch specifics, including the final color). This glossy version of the system doesn't take particularly well to flash photography, but you can be sure it will garner some looks when you play it in public (along with some fast hands if you're not careful). Sony had the system tied to kiosks via a thin key-chain-like chain. Another thin wire connected the system to headphones.
 
Unlike the E3 showing, the system wasn't bolted down, allowing us to hold it in our hands as we would a real portable game system. We suspected as much at E3, but in practice, the PSP feels comfortable in the hand, with all the buttons, and the analogue thumb pad, falling right into place. We actually found the analogue thumb pad to be perfectly situated for making our pointer fingers fall onto the shoulder buttons.
 
SCE revealed privately that the Tokyo Game Show version of the system will be held a bit more firmly in place. We're not sure if people will actually get to place their hands around the system and hold it up freely.
 
Our first try at the system was Metal Gear Acid. We managed to hog the system for a good fifteen minutes before being pressured to move on. In that time, we noticed that the system got a bit warm, particularly on the left side (the D-pad side). We were, of course, expecting the system to heat up a bit as it's played, and, in fact, the level of heat isn't too bad. The system is certainly much cooler than our cell phones get when we play even simple 2D games. Amazingly, the system is very quiet -- there doesn't seem to be anything moving around to cool it off inside.
 
Because there were no AC adapter plugs coming out of the system, it seems reasonable to assume that Sony had all the demos running through battery power. We were at the trial event when it started and left an hour later; the battery meter in the menu screen remained at three notches throughout. You can read into that however you like. SCE is expected to reveal more details on battery life at a later date (and if they don't, you can be sure we'll put the final Japanese retail version through hell and back to determine how long the battery lasts).
 
There had been some concern that Sony Computer Entertainment would make some changes to the system's gorgeous screen. Ignoring the slightly dark look of the games (which is possibly due to the brightness of the room in which the demonstrations were taking place, and also possibly due to the system running off batteries), the large, wide screen is just as gorgeous as it was at E3. The amount of backlight can be adjusted by pressing a button that has a picture of a monitor on it. There are three levels of brightness, with the lowest setting a bit too hard to see in a bright environment, but probably perfect for when playing in the dark. We were able to get a reasonable view of other players' gaming sessions from an angle, although the viewing angle for the PSP is clearly not as high as the latest LCD televisions.
 
The monitor button can also be used to enter the PSP's menu system. As revealed in a story from earlier today, the PSP will make use of the cross bar interface featured in the PSX system and on the latest plasma television sets from Sony. This new feature wasn't in the version of the hardware we were able to try. In its place, SCE had a blank screen containing information on battery life. The menu system can be entered at any time, with the game freezing, then resuming once you've exited the menu.
 
Other face buttons we were able to try out include the home button and the button that has a music note on it. The home button was used in all games that we played to pause the action, bringing up a menu that asked us if we wanted to quit (none of the games actually let us select quit, though). The system has start and select buttons as well, but these weren't used in any of the games. The music note button toggles the sound on and off.
 
We're not sure if you'll want to actually play PSP with the sound off, though, as we found the music to be one of the best parts of the experience. We pushed the volume to max, and managed to get the system pumping out bass-filled tunes and sound effects -- typical quality Sony sound, for anyone who's experienced sound through a Sony MD player before. Having played cartridge-based portable games for over a decade, the jump to UMD-based games is like jumping from cartridges to CDs as far as sound is concerned. Metal Gear in particular has a soundtrack you'll want to listen to, with Minna no Golf retaining the humorous voices and sound effects you expect from the series.
 
Although we were grateful with the amount of playtime we got with the system, we were disappointed in SCE's lack of specifics launch plans. Prior to the free play time, Sony Computer Entertainment leader Ken Kutaragi stated that the price and release date for the system would not be revealed until after the Tokyo Game Show. Apparently, SCE wants to get the reaction of people and investors following their TGS experience with the system, and will then announce launch specifics.
 
Kutaragi was actually asked during a Q&A session if he was aware that Nintendo had just prior to the Sony event announced the price and release date for the DS system. Kutaragi continued with the same line about the PSP being a different product from the DS, one that offers up many forms of entertainment. He did praise the Game Boy as being an excellent platform, though.
 
Even though we'll have to wait until after TGS for specifics on the PSP's launch, being able to hold it in our hands and play some of the games made us want the system more than ever before. Be sure and check out the media section of this story for a video of the PSP being played (there's some footage of Minna no Golf and Shin Ridge Racer tucked away in there as well). We'll have lots more on the PSP in the coming days.
 
http://psp.ign.com/articles/549/54 [...] ?fromint=1